


Navy and Shining Gold

by Ssaigexx



Category: VIXX
Genre: M/M, camp councellor Hongbin is stressed, cha hakyeon is a sassy fish boy, mermaid au, slight angst
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-05-21
Updated: 2019-05-21
Packaged: 2020-03-09 01:14:16
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 4,259
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18906517
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ssaigexx/pseuds/Ssaigexx
Summary: On a whim, Lee Hongbin decides to become a camp councellor when he finds himself jobless and with only a biology degree going for him.One day he spots something strange in the lake as he is playing with his campers. Despite his fear of water, he decided to investigate. What he didnt know is that his decision would change his life- for better or worse.





	1. Depth

**Author's Note:**

> Pairing: Chabin  
> Prompt: “I’m a camp counselor and you’re a mermaid who is living in the nearby lake, please leave” AU

Of all the jobs that Hongbin had taken, this one had to be the weirdest. He had gotten fired from his last job at a bakery and saw an ad for a camp counselor online. He wasn't particularly excited about being surrounded by kids, escpecially ones that were about to be preteens but he needed the money. 

Despite not having worked in a similar field, he got the job. He decided it was because he was a Biology major and the camp was in a wooded area, which makes sense considering kids don't think twice about what is or isnt dangerous. When the time came for the camp to set up, he travelled hours away from home to get to the location he'd be spending the next two months. The camp itself contained a few large cabins for the kids, a smaller one for the councellors, outhouses, and many picnic tables. Beside the counsellor's cabin was a huge shed full of supplies such as canoes, soccer balls, life jackets, and other camping supplies. The cabins and shed were in the middle of a field that sat nearby a small lake with a river trailing out the opposite side, deeper into the woods beyond.

Even though he wasnt excited about having to help the other councellors set everything up and make sure the cabins were nice and clean, Hongbin had to admit that the beauty of the area was striking. It was gorgeous, especially as the sun set and its golden rays shimmered on the lake's surface. Though it was very beautiful, the sunset didn't compare to the night sky with its millions of stars. 

After three long days of set up and planning, the kids began to arrive on buses. Hongbin's co councellors Jung Taekwoon and Lee Jaehwan were stuck with figuring out which kids were in which cabins and he didnt envy them one bit. It wasn't that he hated kids or anything, it was more that their loud excitement gave him a headache. In total, about 100 kids showed up to camp that year. Jaehwan was a bit sad that not as many showed up as they thought there'd be as he was almost like a kid himself but Taekwoon told him itd give them all a chance to bond with them more and that returned the younger man to a happier state.

The first two days of camp were mostly ice breakers and safety lectures for the kids, most of whom were between 8 and 11 years old. Hongbin found himself getting along better with the older kids, especially those who liked video games. Despite his preference for the older kids, Hongbin was assigned to look after the 8 year olds. One hot summer day, he was playing a game of soccer with his campers before it got too dark out when a kid named Sanghyuk accidentally kicked the ball into the lake. 

The kid had a nice kick, considering the ball went far out onto the lake's surface. Hongbin couldnt swim and was afraid of water that he couldnt see all the way through. Not wanting them to get wet and cause a mess in the cabin, he begrudgingly waded into the water to get it when he saw something strange. He was about stomach deep when he saw a gold streak pass his legs. He though it looked like golden scales but it was too murky to be sure. It seemed too thick to be a snake and all of the fish they saw in the lake so far were no bigger than his forearm. This /thing/ was much larger. He felt his heart start racing. What the hell did he just see? The kids were calling out to him so he got the ball and hurried out, putting on his best smile as to not worry them.

That night, after the campers were asleep, he spoke to Jaehwan as they got ready for bed.

"Have you seen anything... strange... in the lake?" He asked nervously.

"Umm," Jaehwan replied, "No, I don't think I have. Why?"

He seemed worried by Hongbin's question and tone so he decided to keep it to himself.

"No reason, its just that lakes are homes of cryptids and stuff, like the Loch Ness monster," he explained, "I was wondering if you heard about a lake monster or something"

Jaehwan smiled, "I think the kids' imaginations are getting to you."

Hongbin let out a forced laugh and agreed. That was such a bad lie, he wondered how Jaehwan even fell for it. As he got under the covers he thought about what he had seen and what it could be until he drifted off to sleep.

For the next week after he saw the golden scales, he felt himself being drawn to the lake almost like something was pulling him. Could it be curiosity? Or was it other-worldly? He decided it was time to figure it all out. While the campers ate lunch, he sat on the dock that jutted out into the lake and just watched for movement. It was hard since the water here was deep and shadowy, he couldn't see the bottom. He pushed away his own fears of the depths and kept watching. He thought he saw movement a few times but it was usually just a fish or a turtle. Perhaps it was nocturnal. It made sense to Hongbin considering he had seen it just before dark. He decided on a whim to test out his theory that night. As night approached he became more and more nervous. As his campers finished up their game of tag, he swore he saw someone looking at him from the middle of the lake. All he saw were eyes and the top of a head and whatever it was, it scared the shit out of him and the campers almost noticed. To calm their nerves, he brushed it off as seeing a big fish jump out of the water. That was the first time he felt absolutely terrified of the lake.

After the campers and other counsellors were settled, Hongbin snuck quietly from the cabin and made his way towards the lake. After what he had seen that afternoon, he was beginning to grow nervous and the black waters didnt help. He stepped onto the dock and the boards creaked at he approached the end of it. Too scared to dangle his legs over the dock, he opted to sit on his knees at the edge instead. An hour passed with the only activity being from little fish catching bugs from the surface. At about 2am, he heard water moving below the dock and hesitantly began to peer over. He leaned as far as he could but could only see his own reflection. Just then he saw a bit of gold move slowly past him. He was entranced by the color of the scales and they looked almost iridescent in the moonlight. He couldnt look away. He thought about how deep the water was and came back to his senses. He, a man who couldn't swim, was hanging over 15 ft. deep water. What was wrong with him? To risk his life over curiosity. He stood with a huff and turned to leave when the boards under his feet gave way and he plunged into the cold water. 

As soon as he was in he began to panic and thrash about. He began to run out of air and began sucking water into his lungs which burned like all hell. He tried to swim up but it was no use and the clear surface began to become murky as he floated downwards, movement slowing. Was he really going to die like this? He felt bad for the poor bastard would find him when his body made its way back up. In his thoughts he almost didnt notice the gold scales and the eyes looking back at him. He realised that the scales and eyes belonged to the same creature. It was a man except he was different. His hips gave way to a long tail instead of legs, ending in a fin. Hongbin realised he was looking at an actual merman. He began to lose conciousness as the merman swam towards him, mouthing words that fell on deaf ears.

Hongbin woke slowly at a pounding on his chest. He choked up the water in his lungs and slowly let his eyes open. He jumped when he saw who was reviving him. The merman saved him. 

"W-What the f-f-fuck..." he stuttered out.

The merman huffed and glared at him, "You really are stupid arent you?"

Hongbin's eyes widened in surprise. Not only did this thing speak back to him but it insulted him? 

"I.. excuse me?" He was at a loss for words.

"You have to be a big dumbass to go on a dock like that over deep water if you cant even swim. No wonder youve been at the lake so much, you and the fish share the same little brain!" 

The creature was lecturing him. A fucking mermaid was lecturing him. If his lungs werent aching, he would have thought it was all a dream. He layed onto his back with a thud.

"Hey dont ignore me its almost like you were TRYING to get youself killed."

Hongbin just closed his eyes and tried to process this night. He almost drowned and was saved by a nagging fish man. He opened his eyes to take a better look at the creature who was awkwardly sitting on its tail. The man half was slender and had beautiful tanned skin. He had black hair that fell slightly into his angled eyes. He was definitely attractive for a man who was half fish. His tail was a rich gold that wasnt even dull in the dark night and the moon made the scales shimmer almost as well as the sun did through the water.

"Hey uh.. are you okay? You blanked out." The merman seemed almost worried and scooted a bit closer.

"You dont speak how i would expect a merman to." Hongbin confessed.

"Is that good or bad? I was human once too you know!" The sass had returned.

"Then how did you become like this?"

The merman tried not to take offense to that and calmly began to explain,

"In a way, we become like this by choice. The first merperson was born from someone who loved to much but lost their love at sea. Every mermaid that came after was born from someone that they lost to the sea. If they lost someone but aren't completely devastated by it, they wont turn but if they are and decide to... 'become one' with the sea, then they become like me."

Hongbin was surprised by the backstory. So mermaids really were real and they became this way from heartbreak. 

"So who did you lose?" He asked and immediately regretted it. The merman became guarded and told him it wasnt his business. 

"Im sorry i didnt mean to offend you i was just curious..."

"You need to work on that curiosity or else it really will get you killed."

Was that a threat? He didnt know what to say to that so he stayed silent. When he realised his lungs were no longer screaming at him, he sat up. 

"Hey dont move to quickly youll hurt yourself fish brain!"

Hongbin decided that he would need to learn all of this mans insults. 

"Its Hongbin."

"Okay Hongbin," he spat, "dont stand up."

Hongbin let out a deep sigh and just laid back down, closing his eyes. He began to drift off and the unnamed merman slipped back into the lake.

Hongbin woke with a start when he felt water splashed onto his face.

"Its almost dawn, go back quick so they dont get worried." 

The merman was neck deep in the water and began to leave but Hongbin stopped him.

"Wait!" He stopped. "Meet me here again tonight."

"Why?" 

"Remember that curiosity you said would kill me?" Hongbin let out a grin, "Its still here." 

"I dont know..." the man sighed.

"Please? I just want to learn more about you and what your life is like. We can keep it to night so that nobody knows." He mentally crossed his fingers that the merman would agree.

"Fine, I guess. But be more careful around the dock I cant save you like that during the day. Ill be here at midnight, dont be late." He began to swim away.

"Hey!" Hongbin shouted, "Whats your name?"

There was a long moment of silence before he got an answer.

"Hakyeon." 

And with that, he disapeared with a splash of his golden tail. This was the most insane thing Hongbin had ever experienced but it felt right, in some strange way. He managed to slip back into the cabin unnoticed and decided there was no point in getting more sleep so he showered and put on his uniform. There was something about Hakyeon that attracted Hongbin. It wasnt necessarily a sexual attraction (though Hakyeon was definitely attractive) but more of a deep curiosity. The day had only just begun and Hongbin was already anxious to see Hakyeon again. 

"Just 17 hours, Hongbin..." He told himself, "17."

It was gonna be a long day.


	2. Time

Hongbin couldn't focus.

His mind was like a hurricane, busy and quickly changing. Thoughts of the previous night blew through his mind. The merman especially occupied his thoughts. 

Hakyeon.

That name stood strong in his mind, pushing away anything unrelated to it. Hell, he could barely focus on his job. Taekwoon pulled him side around 12pm as the campers were having lunch.

"Are you alright?" His co-councellor asked him with worry evident in his eyes.

"Yeah I'm fine, don't worry. I'm just a bit homesick," He lied. He didn't like lying to his new friend but he didn't have a choice. He couldn't tell him about something like this.

Taekwoon didn't look entirely convinced but just nodded in understanding and walked away, not a man of many words. The camper that indirectly led to Hongbin seeing Hakyeon, Han Sangyuk, approached him as lunch was ending. 

"Can we please play soccer again? I promise I wont kick it into the lake!" The boy begged.

Hongbin smiled at the boy, "Of course we can. And dont worry about kicking it into the lake, accidents happen."

"I know.. but you seemed irritated by it when you came out of the water," Sanghyuk pouted, looking sheepish at the memory. 

Hongbin felt bad for letting his emotions show but put the boys guilt to rest simply stating, "I wasn't irritated at you, I was just hungry!" He claimed, knowing that such a young boy would accept such reasoning with ease. It was dumb reasoning, he knew, but it made Sanghyuk happy. 

The boy gave Hongbin a quick hug before running off to his friends, announcing to them that there would be another soccer game that afternoon. Jaehwan approached him to let him know what the kids would be doing now that lunch is over before hurrying back to his campers. After a small break to let the food settle in their stomachs, his campers would learn to canoe on the lake. He felt a little anxious but for once it wasn't about his fear of water. What if one of the campers saw Hakyeon? The water was murky but the mermans tail glimmered in the sunlight. Did he hide during the day? 

Hongbin shook the thoughts from his mind and went with Taekwoon and Jaehwan to get the canoes from the shed. Taekwoon and Hongbin painstakingly dragged the canoes to the shore while Jaehwan grabbed the life jackets and oars. 

Thankfully, the boys were going by age group so they only had to drag out enough canoes to fit them all. He took his campers to the pile of life jackets and made sure each child had one that fit well, and then he found a bigger one for himself. He thought briefly to the night before when Hakyeon told him to be careful as he couldnt save him during the day. He shivered at the thought of drowning but told himself that the life jacket would keep his head above water if they tipped. 

He loaded his campers three to a canoe, seating himself with two campers, one being Sanghyuk and the other being a boy named Kim Wonsik. They were well behaved seperately but unbeknownst to Hongbin, they were little devils when toegether. He pushed each canoe onto the lake and joined them last, the kids waiting for his orders on how to row. Hongbin looked at his watch. The hands read 2:00.

10 hours left before he saw Hakyeon again.

~~~

The canoeing activity went with only minor issues, one being Sanghyuk and Wonsik nearly fighting over an oar, effectively tipping the canoe over. Hongbin and the boys were plunged into the water but thankfully their life jackets kept them afloat. Hongbin's heart was pounding and he was shaking at the lack of ground beneath his feet but he gathered his wits enough to tilt the canoe upright and somehow managed to get them all back in without  tipping again. 

What Hongbin didnt know is that beneath the surface, Hakyeon had been following his canoe to make sure everything was alright. When he and the boys fell in, Hakyeon immediately started to move to Hongbins aid before begrudgingly stopping. He couldn't let the kids see him so he watched from afar, slightly nervous for the stanger who had taken interest in his life. 

Hongbin went on a small hike with his campers that day after a small snack break as soon as canoeing was over. He was very relived to be on dry land and took the chance to put his biology knowledge to practice, telling the kids facts about the plants and animals they saw.  While they were out, Hongbin saw a river that presumably led to the lake. Something was off, he noticed while looking at a tree that had fallen in. He could see black bark where the river had reached before but now it was much lower. Did Hakyeon use this river to leave the lake? Hongbin suddenly felt anxious. If the water drained, what would the merman do? 

It was finally nearing the afternoon, and the boys were wanting to get back to the campground to play the soccer game Hongbin had promised them, so he led them back the way they came. He could hear his campers chatting excitedly and he felt his own heart beating faster as they approached the field. Jaehwan caught him on his way to retrieve a soccer ball from the shed and asked him the time; 7:00.

5 hours left until midnight.

~~~

Hongbin collapsed in the grass with a huff, breathing heavily. Why did these kids have to have so much damn energy?! He envied their ability to play without stopping but thankfully the sun was setting and it was almost time for them to head to dinner and go to bed. 

Much to the dismay of the boys, he told them the game was over and led them back to the cabins, putting the ball back on the way. As they were leaving the shore, Hongbin felt as if he were being watched and glanced back, only to see Hakyeon gazing at them from beneath the dock. The merman startled a bit as the man looked directly at him. Hongbin gave the merman a small smile before turning back towards camp. 

Hongbin made sure that all his kids got their dinner before he sat with his co councellors to eat his own. Jaehwan let out a big sigh and turned to him,

"I feel bad for you Binnie," he mumbled, using a nickname Hongbin hadn't heard before, "I don't know how you deal with all the younger kids."

Hongbin let out a melodical laugh, "It isnt easy, they've got the energy of puppies." 

He took a bite from his food as Taekwoon spoke next, "I had to take care of them last year and I was exhausted." The older man huffed. 

Jaehwan laughed and turned towards Taekwoon with a big goofy grin, "You say that Taek, but you were playing with as much energy as they were," the man laughed, making Taekwoon roll his eyes.

Hongbin smiled at his co-councellors. He had to admit, he was getting attatched to them as friends despite not having too many chances to speak to them. He glanced at his watch, noticing he only had a couple hours until midnight. He finished his food and stood from the table, his friends following suit. They took their campers back to their respective cabins and made sure everyone was in bed before heading to their own.

Hongbin took a shower and threw on some green gym shorts and a black t shirt to "sleep" in. Taekwoon was the first to sleep, quickly followed by Jaehwan. Hongbin just lay in his bed wide awake listening to their breathing and soft snoring. The time was 11pm. He witheld a loud groan at the time, feeling more and more restless as the minutes ticked by. 

He managed to wait until 11:50 before heading quietly out from the cabin and to the lake, its water black with the night, half moon casting silver ripples onto the small waves. Hongbin shuddered as he remembered falling into that water the previous night. He decided it was best to wait under the high dock as there was plenty of soft sand there and it would block them from view if anyone decided to take a moonlit stroll. He drew little pictures in the sand with his fingers as he waited, ears listening to the sounds of the water. 

At last, he heard movement and looked towards the sound, seeing the merman pulling himself from the shallow water, leaning against one of the posts of the dock, water lapping at his golden tail. 

"You came," the merman stated calmly. 

Hongbin scooted closer to him, and smiled, "Of course I did. I've been looking forward to it all day," he admitted without thought, flushing slightly at his words.

Hakyeon let out a soft laugh, "I did too honestly. Gets a bit boring with only fish, snakes, and snails for company."

Honbin laughed as well, "I bet. How about the turtles are they good comany?"

"Better than you." The merman replied.

"As if you're any better," Hongbin smirked, "A rock would have better conversations than you,"

"Feeling brave now that you aren't on the verge of drowning?" 

"You bet,"

As snarky as their conversation was, both Hakyeon and Hongbin felt their hearts warm naturally around eachother. They chatted for a while about mundane topics such as the weather, flora, fauna, and the like until it got more serious.

"Hey Hakyeon?" Honbin began, deep in thought.

"Hmm?" The merman looked at him curiously.

"Do you use that river to come to the lake and leave from it?" 

Hakyeon tilted his head in confusion, much like a puppy Hongbin noted. 

"I do... why?"

Hongbin felt his heart spead up a bit, "Im no expert on the area but it seems as if the water is being drained..."

Hakyeon stiffened and sat up a bit straighter, "What do you mean?"

"I took my campers on a hike the other day and I noticed that the water was lower than it seemed to be previously, based on the tree bark." 

Hakyeon looked to the direction of the river, deep in thought. Hongbin was suddenly worried again. What if that made the merman want to leave the area? He wouldn't blame Hakyeon but he also wanted to keep meeting up with the man. Hakyeon looked back to him and smiled softly, as if reading Hongbins thoughts.

"I wont leave just yet, but I will keep an eye on it when I can. I've never been in this area before this summer so it could be something as simple as a beaver dam upstream."

Hongbin nodded in agreement. That could definitely be a possibility. So could a build up of sediment and fallen foliage.

"That reminds me, why are you here this summer? Why come to a little lake in the woods?" Honbin asked.

"Well, far up stream there is ocean of course but its summer time and many people are fishing. I got a bit too close to a boat one day and went down the first river i could find, which led me here. I could easily leave but I've found reasons to stay." The merman explained, absentmindedly playing with the sand next to him, making it into a little mound.

Hongbin watched Hakyeons hands as he responded, "What did you find?"

Hakyeon let out a chuckle, "Well, It's quiet here, despite the kids. No fishermen and no other merpeople. Its tranquil and beautiful as well," He stated, looking around at the forest and the lake. He then looked directly at Hongbin, "And I found a fool who nearly drowned himself to see what I was, and I like speaking to him." 

Hongbin would never admit to it, but he blushed. He hoped Hakyeon couldn't see his flushed face in the shadows of the dock.

"Well, I'm sure this fool you speak of likes talking to you as well." Hongbin said with a shy smile.

"I'm glad he does."


End file.
